1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nano-magnetic head that uses a nanotube being capable of inputting and outputting magnetic signals with nano-region precision on a magnetic recording medium. The present invention further relates to a nano-magnetic head device equipped with a signal controller that inputs and outputs signals to and from a nano-magnetic head respectively.
2. Prior Art
Generally, a magnetic head is constructed from a core and a coil. The core has a gap between magnetic poles, and the coil is wound around the core. A magnetic recording device is constituted by disposing this gap between magnetic poles so that the gap contacts a magnetic recording medium such as a magnetic tape, magnetic card, magnetic disk, magnetic drum and other magnetic substance. When a signal current flows through the coil, magnetic flux is generated in the ring-form core. A part of this magnetic flux leaks into the magnetic recording medium from the gap between magnetic poles, and information is magnetically recorded in the molecules of the magnetic material of the magnetic recording medium by this leakage magnetic flux.
Conversely, when the magnetic recording medium on which magnetic recording has been performed is moved relative to the gap between magnetic poles, a signal current is generated in the coil by electromagnetic induction. Magnetic information is played back by way of amplifying this signal current.
As seen from the above, a magnetic head is a device that magnetically records information on a magnetic recording medium and plays back magnetic information from such a magnetic recording medium.
The size of the minimal units of magnetic information recorded on the magnetic recording medium varies directly depending upon the size of the gap between magnetic poles formed in the core. Accordingly, in order to increase the magnetic recording density, it is necessary to design the magnetic head so that the core and the gap between the magnetic poles of the core are as small as possible in size. However, as along as the formation of the core and the gap between the magnetic poles depends on mechanical working or other physical working, there are size limits that restrict the miniaturization of these members. Accordingly, not only the development of magnetic substances but also the development of core materials is an urgent task for increasing magnetic recording density.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a nano-magnetic head that reduces the size of the minimal units of magnetic information to the nano-scale in a single stroke, thus providing a great increase in magnetic recording density.
It is another object to provide a nano-magnetic head device that uses such a nano-magnetic head.
The above object is accomplished by a unique structure for a nano-magnetic head that is characterized in that the base end portion of a nanotube is fastened to a holder so that the tip end portion of this nanotube protrudes from the holder, a nanocoil is wound around the outer circumference of this tip end portion of the nanotube, and signals are inputted and outputted at both ends of this nanocoil.
The above object is accomplished by another unique structure for a nano-magnetic head that is characterized in that the base end portion of a nanotube is fastened to a holder so that the tip end portion of this nanotube protrudes from the holder, a microcoil is wound around the outer circumference of this holder, and signals are inputted and outputted at both ends of this microcoil.
In the above nano-magnetic head, the holder is a protruding portion of an AFM (Atomic Force Microscope) cantilever, where the protruding portion is also called xe2x80x9cpyramid portionxe2x80x9d which is sometimes used below in the present specification.
The above object is accomplished by still another unique structure for a nano-magnetic head that is characterized in that the base end portion of a nanotube is fastened to a holder so that the tip end portion of this nanotube protrudes from the holder, a microcoil is wound around the outer circumference of a main body portion that supports the holder, and signals are inputted and outputted at both ends of this microcoil.
In this nano-magnetic head, the holder is the protruding portion of an AFM cantilever, and the main body portion is the cantilever portion of the AFM cantilever.
Furthermore, in the present invention, ferromagnetic metal atoms can be installed in the hollow portion of the nanotube.
The above object is further accomplished by a unique structure for a nano-magnetic head device that comprises the nano-magnetic head as described above and a signal controller that inputs and outputs signals to and from this nano-magnetic head, respectively, so that the nano-magnetic head device performs magnetic writing in a nano-region of a magnetic recording medium and reads magnetic record from this nano-region.